I've been getting pretty good with Premiere, I feel, but I know for some of the flashier videos that After Effects is used to great effect. How many of you use or can use this program when you make AMVs and what do you typically use it for? What are some specific uses you can get out of it that you can't get out of Premiere?

also, does anybody know where there are some decent tutorials on how to use the program? Premiere is self-explanatory with some diligence but I'm finding After Effects to be a bit too confusing. Thanks!

I use to make my amv sony vegas.For a little something special, also applied after effect (CC Burn, Shattered, etc.)But I'm using it for a couple of months, fact not very goodSoon I will learn to use the 3D cameraAs for the tutorial, search for a bit of Video Copilot and Motionworks

AE can really be thought of as Photoshop for video/motion. Almost anything you can do with Photoshop, you can do in AE (and sometimes, far more). It's got layers, visual effects, masking, etc. all right on the timeline. It really just depends on what it is you actually want to accomplish with a video. If you have an idea, like say "For this part of my video, I want to animate some original graphics on top of the video" or "I have some cool color correction stuff I want to do that I can't (or don't know how to) properly accomplish in Premiere" or "I want to mask out an animated sequence from one show and composite it into another" then open up AE and start figuring out how to do it.

What you don't want to do is bring your video into AE and just start adding random things to it, thinking that more = better. Plus, a lot of the time, you CAN accomplish a lot with just Premiere. I mean, a lot of Nostromo's "effects heavy" (quotations on purpose) videos were done entirely in Premiere, with no AE.

As far as tutorials go, you can always check out Video Copilot. A lot of people poopoo these tutorials because you end up seeing the results of the tutorials used everywhere (like, frame for frame, the same thing). But if you approach it the way you're supposed to, they're worthwhile. Don't watch a tutorial, follow it, then slap exactly what you did into a video and upload it saying "Look how good I am at AE!" Tutorials are meant to explain HOW the tools work, not "you should do this specific look in your work." Take the knowledge you learned from following the tutorial and apply it to your own ideas. And if you don't HAVE any ideas, then don't do it in the first place.

Brad wrote:AE can really be thought of as Photoshop for video/motion. Almost anything you can do with Photoshop, you can do in AE (and sometimes, far more). It's got layers, visual effects, masking, etc. all right on the timeline. It really just depends on what it is you actually want to accomplish with a video. If you have an idea, like say "For this part of my video, I want to animate some original graphics on top of the video" or "I have some cool color correction stuff I want to do that I can't (or don't know how to) properly accomplish in Premiere" or "I want to mask out an animated sequence from one show and composite it into another" then open up AE and start figuring out how to do it.

What you don't want to do is bring your video into AE and just start adding random things to it, thinking that more = better. Plus, a lot of the time, you CAN accomplish a lot with just Premiere. I mean, a lot of Nostromo's "effects heavy" (quotations on purpose) videos were done entirely in Premiere, with no AE.

As far as tutorials go, you can always check out Video Copilot. A lot of people poopoo these tutorials because you end up seeing the results of the tutorials used everywhere (like, frame for frame, the same thing). But if you approach it the way you're supposed to, they're worthwhile. Don't watch a tutorial, follow it, then slap exactly what you did into a video and upload it saying "Look how good I am at AE!" Tutorials are meant to explain HOW the tools work, not "you should do this specific look in your work." Take the knowledge you learned from following the tutorial and apply it to your own ideas. And if you don't HAVE any ideas, then don't do it in the first place.

I use after effects in almost all of my videos along with premiere pro. I'll do all except basic effects in After Effects, but I especially use it for masking and rotoscoping. I also find it easier to do color corrections in after effects, and I use it to cover lip flap. I would not use After Effects to lay out clips on the timeline because it is much harder to preview clips. Instead, I find the dynamic link connection (CS4+) between Premiere Pro and After Effects to be really useful because you can easily go back in and change effects while previewing them in the context of the entire timeline in Premiere.

I'm not quite sure where you can find good tutorials, since I learned a few years ago out of a book, but I think creative cow is generally a good place to go, and I've seen some good video copilot tutorials

I've been editing without AE for one year now : o. Just using Premiere Pro but actually it's because I'm lazy /o/

But, still :

Brad wrote:AE can really be thought of as Photoshop for video/motion. Almost anything you can do with Photoshop, you can do in AE (and sometimes, far more). It's got layers, visual effects, masking, etc. all right on the timeline. It really just depends on what it is you actually want to accomplish with a video. If you have an idea, like say "For this part of my video, I want to animate some original graphics on top of the video" or "I have some cool color correction stuff I want to do that I can't (or don't know how to) properly accomplish in Premiere" or "I want to mask out an animated sequence from one show and composite it into another" then open up AE and start figuring out how to do it.

What you don't want to do is bring your video into AE and just start adding random things to it, thinking that more = better. Plus, a lot of the time, you CAN accomplish a lot with just Premiere. I mean, a lot of Nostromo's "effects heavy" (quotations on purpose) videos were done entirely in Premiere, with no AE.

As far as tutorials go, you can always check out Video Copilot. A lot of people poopoo these tutorials because you end up seeing the results of the tutorials used everywhere (like, frame for frame, the same thing). But if you approach it the way you're supposed to, they're worthwhile. Don't watch a tutorial, follow it, then slap exactly what you did into a video and upload it saying "Look how good I am at AE!" Tutorials are meant to explain HOW the tools work, not "you should do this specific look in your work." Take the knowledge you learned from following the tutorial and apply it to your own ideas. And if you don't HAVE any ideas, then don't do it in the first place.

I've used After Effects in all but one of my videos, but up until my latest video, it's been used extremely sparingly. I tend to try and get things done in Premiere and Photoshop first and, if that's too difficult or not the most efficient way to proceed, turn to AE. I have only once or twice (I think) ever used an actual preset "effect" in AE that someone could point to and say "Oh, that's the X effect."

AE is like any other tool in the editor's toolbox: it's a means to an end, not an end in and of itself. If you don't need it, don't use it.

People use AE after the whole video is complete? That doesn't seem to make the most sense to me, but then again, I'm not even sure how to properly utilize the program. I only really want to use the program to help create effects that help create the message I want to convey in my video. I'll definitely check that tutorial site out.

Photoshop for video makes sense, but does it really have to be done frame by frame? That sounds immensely time consuming. I'm sure there's an efficient way to go about the program. Most likely there are timeline and progression tools yes?

Agree 120% with Brad. Knowing/using a tool is not what you should be worried about, it's the concept and theme of your video you should be worrying about.

That said, AE is an amazingly powerful tool. Definitely check out video copilot...think of it as your toolbox. You need to learn your tools before you make anything with them, and those tuts are a great way to learn the program and what it can do. But then, start thinking about how those work and fit together...and about how they fit your video in particular. Can you make an effect with the tools that works with your concept?

Or are you just doing the 3d logo video copilot tutorial and putting an anime frame in the middle of it? >_____>